Lawyer's Bookcase in the Kitchen

We've written about using bookcases in the kitchen before, but this is probably the best example we've come across yet. Featured in Sunset Magazine, this sunny yellow kitchen includes a classic barrister's bookcase updated with a coat of white paint. Lawyer's bookcases are vertical shelves, usually stacked 3 or 4 high and covered by a glass front that flips up and slides into a slot above the shelf. Constructed from metal or wood, they were originally designed to hold legal volumes and documents, but now they're commonly used as shelving in homes. They're not hard to find on craigslist or in thrift stores, and they often pop up in our Scavenger columns...

They're a perfect fit for the kitchen, since the glass fronts can be used to protect dishes or left open for easy access. The vertical height creates a small footprint, and the see-through cabinets make dishes easy to find. For more ideas from Sunset's article on freestyle decorating, click here.

Photo: Thomas J. Story for Sunset Magazine

Comments (7)

Aha! Brilliant!

I cannot believe that this never occurred to me. I've been searching for a way to display all of my dishes and glassware for ages now- and thought I love the look of traditional furniture, most china hutches are so frou-frou! Plus, hutches typically have solid doors on the base- so you lose a lot of display space. This is the PERFECT solution.

I am craig's list searching right now...

posted by shockthebourgeois on February 27th 2009 at 7:35pm
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"Constructed from metal or glass"...

While I think a barrister bookcase constructed from glass would be lovely, I'm pretty sure you meant metal or wood.

I really like the idea of putting one of these in the kitchen. It keeps everything dust free, but you can also see in.

posted by petro on February 27th 2009 at 8:48pm
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I love these bookcases, but where I live, I never see them for under $1,000. Does anyone know someplace in the Northeast where they are cheap and plentiful?

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on February 27th 2009 at 8:56pm
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Thanks, petro - you're right. I corrected the typo.

posted by sarah c on February 27th 2009 at 9:32pm
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Woot! My mom and I went over to Office Depot of all places and had picked one up a few months back for a mini-pantry since our house ironically doesn't have one. Got ours for $150. Now, all we need is something to cover the glass...

posted by reveriies on March 1st 2009 at 2:05am
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We use an antique lawyer's case (unpainted, original wood finish) in the kitchen to hold cook books, museum books from trips, and a few large serving pieces. Since our whole downstairs is open, it does triple duty and blends serves the needs of the dining, kitchen, and living rooms nicely.

Cheesy as it is, it was a law school graduation gift, too. Spouse's grandfather gave him his antique case after we graduated.

I've long been searching for a similar sized set so that I could use the base and top with the existing set and split it into two lower cases that could be used as a sideboard.

They're great in bathrooms, too.

posted by JaxByDefault on March 1st 2009 at 1:25pm
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i find a very glassy bookcase with raised panels and crowned with dentil molding. Glass doors framed with solid wood slide up easily and then glide in and out of the way for easy access to your books. A great way of displaying your books but keeping the dust off!

Although the solid wood bookcase is shown in cherry, it come in a variety of woods and finishes to create the look that you want.

This lovely Deluxe Office bookcase looks great in any office or living room. An excellent gift for any office manager or any bookworm!
Jack
find lawyer

posted by jackharry on May 26th 2009 at 8:52am
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